Refrigerating apparatus



Feb. 26, 1929. 1,703,311 T. J. LITLE, 'JR

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed May 25. 1926 IN VEN TOR.

750/465 f 1/745 J'z A TTORNE Y.

Patented Feb. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J'- LITLE, JR., F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO COPELAND PRODUCTS, INC., 01: DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

REFRIG ERATING APPARATUS.

Application filed. m 25,

M invention relates to improvements in refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to the compressor type of refri erat ng machine, or the absorption type of refrig- 5 crating machine, for domestic use.

It is the primary object of. my invention to provide a valvular connection etween the expansion coil and the compressor, and also between the expansion coil and the condensing coil of a refrigerating machine in order that the parts of the machine, consisting of the motor, compressor and the condensing coil may. be detached from the expansion coil for purposes of repairs or replacement,

without loss of any refrigerant contained in the compressor, condensing coils or expansion coils, and without providing a means of escape for the cold air contained in the refrigerating compartment of. the

- cabinet. Another object of this invention is to provide a speedy and simple means of detaching, for purposes of replacement, repair or service, the heat dissipating parts of the refrigerating unit, without disturbing the position or the attachment of the expansion coil or heat absorbing part within the refrigerator cabinet, and to rovide for a speedy change of refrigerating machines without interfering with the continuous use of the refrigerator.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, com bination and construction of the various parts of my improved device as described in .the specification, claimed in my claims and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a, vertical cross section of the upper portion of a refrigerator cabinet, showing the refrigerating unit installed. I

Fig.-2 is a vertical cross section of the valvular connection utilized in my invention.

Fig. 3, is a cross section of the valvular connection taken on line 8-3 of Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig.2 showing a modification of my invention.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a refrigerator cabinet having the conventionally insulated walls 1 and top 2. Upon the top 2 is removably mounted a base 3, upon which are secured a motor 4, a compressor 5, a con- 'densing coil 6 of the usual type of refrigerating machine, with their attendant fittings. Within the cabinet, and beneath the top 2, I have shown an expansion Coll 1926. Serial No. 111,475,.

7 which is connected to the compressor 5 and to the condensing coil 6 by the valvular connections 8 and 9, respectively, and which is also supported by said valvular connections, which are in turn inserted through and fitted closely and securely in the openings 11 and 12 of the cover 2. The refrigerating machine operates in the usual man ner, the compressor 5 being drivenby the motor 4 and delivering compressed gasto condensing coil 6 which in turn delivers the refrigerant through the valves contained in part 9, to the expansion 'coil 7, which in turn delivers the refrigerant in a gasified form through the valves contained in part 8, back to the compressor 5.

The valvular connections 8 and 9 are identieal and may be described as being composed of two tubes 13 and 14 secured together at their escapement ends by the union 15, the

tube 13 being so positioned that its escapement vent 16 coordinates with, and opens into-the escapement vent 17 of the tube 14, and a gasket being positioned between the edges of the tubes to seal against leakage. The tube 13 is connected with the compressor 5 by the tube 18 and its fittings 20 and 21, and the tube 14 is "connected with the expansion coil 7 by the fitting 22.- The opening and closing of the vent 16 is controlled by turning the needle 23 to move its tapered portion 50 out of or into contact with the edges of the vent, and the opening and closing of vent 17 is controlled by turning the needle 24 to cause the tapered portion 51 thereof to similarly function.

The tube 14 is inserted through the cover.

2 and fits closely the opening 11 therein, I

and extends sufficiently above the surface of cover 2, and is threaded to receive the threaded portion of the union 15, which is flanged at 53 to engage the flange 54 on, the tube 13.

The valvular connection 9 is of the same construction as the valvular connection 8 just described, and is similarly positioned in cover 2, except that it is positioned to connect, and is connected at its upper end to the condenser 6 by tube 25 and fitting 26, and is connected at its lower end to expansion coil 7 by the fitting 27. The construction of these valvular connections 8 and 9 makes its possible to detach from the expansion coil 7 and from the cabinet, that part of the refrigerating machine mounted upon and attached as the base 3 without the loss of refrigerant liquid or gas contained either in the compressor, condenser or expansion coil, and without removing the expansion coil, as in removing it. is only necessary to close the valves by turning the needles 23 and 24 so that their points close the vents 16 and 17, respectively, then to unscrew tk union 15, thus severing above the surface of the refrigerator cabinet,"the' connection of the comp? essor with the expansion coil. Like action is then taken with reference to the valvular connection 9, and that part of' the refrigerating unit mounted upon the base 3 may then be removed with the base from the cabinet and repaired or replaced as desired. The closed valves connected with the expansion coil prevent the escape of any gas or liquid contained in the expansion coil, and the closed valves connected with the compressor and condenser likewise prevent the escape of any gas or liquid contained therein.

In assembling, the base 3 is simply moved into position, the union 15 screwed home, and the valves opened to connect the system. In the modification shown in Fig. 4 I-have provided a construction wherein the opposed valves are so arranged that the.opening of one will open the other, and the closing of one will close the other so that it becomes unnecessary to close a valve from the inside of the refrigerator cabinet in order to' disconnect the parts. 1

I have shown fittings 35 and 36 which may be coupled together by a union 37-, the fitting 35 having an 'oiftake connection 38 to the expansion coil 7, and the fitting 36 having an offtake connection 39 to the pipe 18.

, Within the fitting 35 is coil spring 41 adapted to press the valve 42 against its seat in the upper end of the fitting 35 so as to close the same. The fitting 36 is provided with a rod 43 having a tapered end adapted when screwed upwardly to engage the seat in the bottom end of the fitting 36 and close the fitting, said rod being provided with screw-threads 45 for accomplishing this ad justment. A cover 46 is provided on the upper end of the fitting 36 over the rod 43..

It will be apparent from Fig. 4 that when the rod 43 is screwed sov as to bringthe vtapered portion 44 to its seat and close the fitting 36, the valve 42 will be held in closed position'by the sprin 41. When the rod 43 is screwed to unseat fihe portion 44 however, the extension 47 on the end of the rod will bear against the face ofthe valve 42 so as to unseat it and provide a continuous passage between the fittings. Thus, opening and closing of the two fittings is accomplished by the single adjusting means. I

It will be apparent that complete systems may be built and tested at the factory, then a satisfactory unit, factory tested, will be had.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the arrangement, combination and construction of the various parts of my improved device, without departing from the spirit of my invention, and it is my intention to cover bymy claims such changes as may be reasonably included within the scope thereof. I

What I claim is:

1. The combination of a refrigerator cabinet, a motor compressor and condensingcoil of a refrigerating machine removably attached as a unit to the top of said cabinet, an expansion coil suspendedfwithin said cabinet and" beneath the top thereof, a valvular connection between said compressor and said expansion coil and also between said condensing coil and said expansion coil, each of said connections com-' prising two needle valves positioned with their Yescapement vents nieetmg/ and opening into each other and adapted to permit the, passage .of liquid or gas from one valve to the other, a union attached to the meeting end of one vof said valves and screwed over the meeting end of the other of said valves, said valvular connections being inserted through and closely fitted in openings in the .top of said cabinet with the union connections thereof positioned above the surface of the top of said cabinet.

2. The combiiiation of a refrigerator cabinet, a base removably mounted on said cabinet, a motor, compressor and condenser of a refrigerating machine mounted upon said base, an expansion coil suspended beneath the top of and within said cabinet, valves inserted through and closely fitted in the top of said cabinet attached to each end of said expansion coil, said valves being withdrawable downwardly outv of said 'top, a valve attached to the compressor, and a valve attached to the condenser, and threaded unions adapted to'fit and to secure, at a point above the outside surface of the top of the cabinet, the valves attached to the ends of the expansion coil to the valves attached to the compressor and to the condenser. v

3. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet provided with a fixed wall, an expansion coil within said cabinet, inlet and outlet passages for said coil terminating in valve members, said valve members projecting through said wall and supporting said coil ,fromthesame, a base removably mountedon the outside of said wall, a compressor and condenser connected together secured to said base, an inlet passage for said compressor and an outlet-passage for' said condenser both of which terminate in valve members, means for removably connecting the last mentioned valve members to the first mentioned valve members, and means for closing all of said valveimembers prior to disconnecting the same from each other whereby said base with said compressor and condenser 'may be removed from said wall independently of said coil without permitting air to enter or gas to escape from said passages.

4. In combination with a refrigerator cabinet provided with a fixed Wall, a sepa rable valve member extending through said wall and being removable therefrom, said valve member closely fitting said wall and projecting from both sides thereof, a compressor and condenser supported on the ex terior of said wall, an expansion element supported on the interior of said wall, a

conduit connecting said expansion chamber with one side of said valve member, and a conduit connecting said compressor with the other'side of said valve member.

5."In combination with a refrigerator cabinet provided with an opening in a wall thereof, a heat dissipating unit on the exterior of said cabinet, and a heat absorbing unit on the interior of said cabinet operatively connected to said heat dissipating unit, said connection including'a pair of cooperable valve" members one of which is positioned within said opening and connected to the other thereof, said valve memher positioned in said opening adapted to close said opening and being withdrawable therefrom in a direction opposite to the side of said wall on which the other of said valve members is located.

6. In combination with a refrigerator cabinet provided with an opening in a wall thereof, a heat dissipating unit on the outside of said cabinet, and a heat absorbing unit on the inside of said cabinet operatively connected to said heat dissipating unit, said connection including a pair of separable connected valve members at least one of which is disposed within and closes said opening, said valve members upon separation beinganovable away from said wall from opposite sides thereof.

7. In combination with. a refrigerator cabinet provided with 'a pair of openings in a wall thereof, a heat dissipating unit exterior to said cabinet, a heat absorbing unit within said cabinet operatively connected to said heat dissipating unit, said connection including twopairs of co-operating valves, one of each of said pairsof valves being secured to said heat absorbing unit and one of each of said pairs of valves being secured to said heat dissipating unit, said valves co-oper'ating with said openings to close the same,and means for connecting each valve of each of said pairs of valves to its corresponding valve and for supporting said heat absorbing unit from said wall.

THOMAS J. LITLE, JR. 

